Believe
by MysticRyter
Summary: Belinda Woods was always aware of her supposed role to fulfill. She prepared for it her whole life. She wasn't thrilled though, and ignored her destiny beating on her doorsep. That is, until fate played its hand and she found herself fighting the Boogeyman with a jolly fat man, a man-rabbit, a bird lady, a golden midget, and an invisible icicle. (Not Jack/OC.)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"GET OUT OF MY FRICKEN ROOM!" Belinda hadn't screamed like that in years: almost blinded by pure rage.

The figure in front of her gave a cold smirk. He waved his hand, rotating it on his wrist. Streams of black sand glittered around Belinda, encompassing her in their depths.

Everything was dark, and she couldn't even see the thin line of light that faithfully shone from the crack at the bottom of the door.

Images began flashing through her brain. They were vivid, colorful, and changing rapidly. The pace continued to quicken, and each one unnerved her more than the last one. Belinda blinked rapidly and blinked hard, but the images stayed.

"Get. Out." Belinda grit her teeth, as if she tried to literally ground out what—she hoped—weren't her last words.

"Make me," The voice whispered. "You have the power."

It was a taunt, as Belinda realized she was on her knees, her hands covering her ears; her head felt like it was going to explode.

The sand whistling past her ears went away, and swept out the open window, seemingly on its own accord.

Shakily, Belinda got to her feet, and scanned her surroundings. Her eyes landed on Pitch Black, and she took a step backwards, one step towards the open window.

Behind the Boogeyman, her closet door was ajar, and to her horror, he held _her _staff in his hands. It didn't look like much, just a plain old wooden shepard's crook, really.

But it wasn't.

Pitch held the staff delicately, savoring the moment he got what he came for. He grinned as black smoke swirled from his hands, coursing through the wood like a plague. It probably was.

As the foreign toxin finished its course, Belinda's senses felt dull. Her line of sight collapsed into tunnel vision. The world elongated away from her and short towards her like a slingshot. The air rushed out of her lungs, and Belinda let out a gasp, her stomach lurching.

Pitch Black laughed. Belinda Woods had been reduced to a pathetic, shaking mess. The Autumn Staff was now in his possession.

"Look what you've done," he sneered. "You wanted to wait? You know the world can't wait any longer, and the Man in the Moon seems more desperate than ever. So why wait?"

He gave Belinda a cold Grinch's grin.

Belinda clenched her fists, damp with sweat. Her heartbeat revved up to an unhealthy rhythm, something Pitch seemed to sense.

He chuckled. "Ah, yes. No believers. Like me. You won't be seen, or heard, or touched, maybe for a long time. How would poor Jamie take the disappearance of his precious cousin?"

Beads of sweat formed at Belinda's hairline; her blood was boiling. "Leave. Him. Out of this."

"Struck a nerve? Oh dear. Then you _must_ be aware that _last year_, well, I suppose the world couldn't wait any longer. Summer melted right into winter, and the same thing will happen this year!" He twirled the now-black staff in his hands, smoke of the same color rising off of it. "This is what happens when you're selfish!"

He raised the staff, and a narrow shaft of gale-force winds shot Belinda out of her window with the force a cannon, leaving her to tumble to the ground.

Through the shock of it all, panic seized Belinda's mind, shook her, and refused to let go. Then she saw the ground rush to meet her, and her palms met the ground first. Her body followed, tucking into a somersault.

She misestimated though, and rolled on her side, grunting. She jumped up, popping her fingers and her neck.

Belinda gazed at her open window; black sand streamed out of it, heading away. Far away, it seemed.

There wasn't any point going back to her apartment now. All of her things were at her aunt's house, so she could just say she was moving back in. It was fairly late, and the manager would be up late watching reruns of _I love Lucy_.

Belinda sighed. _What the heck._

There was a bit of confusion from the balding man, but after some insistence on Belinda's part, she was officially moved out. Belinda thanked him quickly and ran out.

Spotting the nearest payphone, Belinda rummaged through her pockets for spare change.

Three rings. _Please leave a message at the tone. Beep._

Belinda inhaled, trying to calm herself. "Hi Aunt Penny. It's Belinda. Something happened at the apartments, and I'll be dropping by later tonight. Bye, love you."

Belinda was made to say the least. If anything, she wanted to punch the brick wall behind her. She clenched her fists and bit her lip. Hot tears were threatening to spill over.

She sniffed, wanting to be angry at Pitch at least, but the only person Belinda could bring herself to be mad at was herself.

Choking back a sob, she did the one thing she did best: running. She ran from her problems, always, it seemed. Her mind flashed back to Alaska: it was cold. It was dark. She couldn't save her parents. She did the one thing they told her to do: run.

And she's been running ever since. Whenever she couldn't think? A couple laps around town fixed that. It was a way for her to burn off her energy, or in this case, her rage.

Belinda sprinted down the sidewalk, as fast as she could muster, not taking a breather. Burgess was a blur; she was a runner without a destination. The wanderer that would never stop wandering.

Finally, Belinda collapsed on her knees, utterly out of breath, and still crying. She gasped and choked, curling into a ball and retching.

Rolling to her feet, Belinda relished the crunch of snow. She recognized her current location: Burgess Pond. It was where her head always seemed the clearest. In the winter, the leaves that drifted to the ground lay in piles. She could always see the moon the best here, even when it was a new moon.

She gazed at the satellite, shining like a beacon. Its beams glowed ever-brighter here, like this was someplace sacred.

"I'm sorry," Belinda breathed. "I am so sorry."

Belinda knew she was in hysterics. Anyone that happened to be passing by would surely report her to an insane asylum, seeing that she was talking to the moon.

A few minutes after Belinda's breathing had fully stabilized, a brief cold wind blew overhead, pulling Belinda's cap to the middle of the frozen lake.

"Aw, really?" She whined, running a hand through her brown hair.

Scouring the ground for a pebble, she gave up her search and carefully put a toe on the ice, slowly pressing down her weight. She winced as cracks spider-webbed outward.

She recoiled, backing up. _So much for that idea._

Instead, she looked for a tree branch long enough to hook her cap. To her dismay, the branches that she could reach were too short and flimsy.

Belinda sighed, fingering a lock of hair. Finding a rock, she brushed the off the snow and sat down, taking in the view.

Pine trees slumped downward, covered in a layer of snow. On a higher slope of land, deciduous trees were bare, surrounding the small pond like a shield. The thin ice covering Burgess Pond glistened in the silvery-blue moonlight.

Another cold breeze swept through the clearing, this time lifting the wool hat off the ice, moving towards Belinda inch by inch.

"Huh?" Belinda slid off her perch, just as her prized cap floated to her hands.

Shaking the ice off of it, Belinda scanned the treetops. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a boy about her age crouching on a thick tree branch. He wore a blue hoodie glistening with frost. A few locks of white hair hung in front of his face, most of it hidden by the raised hood. The staff in his right hand was identical to Belinda's, except for the ribbons of blue light that glowed from it.

Turning away from him, Belinda fixed her cap back on her head. She felt the spirit's disappointment.

"You did all of that," Belinda said loudly. "Didn't you?"

She turned around as a distinct _whoosh_ was heard. Standing before her was the boy in the treetops. Slowly, he pulled his hood down, revealing eyes like the winter sky, and skin so pale, you would've thought he had hypothermia.

"Can you—can you—" The boy stammered.

"Yeah. I can see you."

"But you believe." The boy said, eyes glistening bright.

"I don't count." Belinda scoffed.

The spirit frowned slightly, tilting his head. "Aren't you a little old for this kind of thing?"

"And too old for what? We're all kids, some just choose to be grown-ups and force that on other people."

The spirit leaned on his staff. "I guess a lot of people choose to be grown-ups."

"Being a grown-up's overrated." Belinda said. "Although sometimes, you have no choice." She added to herself.

As Belinda began to walk past him, the frost spirit jumped in front of her.

"Wait!" He said, looking kind of panicky. "Am I going to see you again?"

Belinda shrugged. "Probably." She gave him a small smile and continued to walk out of the forest. "See you later, Jack Frost."

Even though she had her back to the boy, she could tell he had jumped.

"Bye," He called.

Turning back, Belinda gave him a small smile and a two-fingered wave.

On the walk to the Bennett residence, Belinda ran her sob-fest and conversation with the winter spirit. He seemed pretty much unaware of her current predicament, as were the other seasonal spirits. It was something she was grateful for, something she's been grateful for.

Belinda rang the doorbell, trying to act natural. Well, as natural as one could be running across town in the middle of the night. She brushed stray locks of her chestnut hair behind her ear, fixing her gray woolen cap so its visor tilted above her left eye.

Aunt Penny answered the door, wearing the lavender bathrobe Belinda got her for Christmas, pajama pants, and white slippers.

"Hi," Belinda said sheepishly.

Penny's arms were crossed, and an eyebrow was arched. The corners of her mouth were tucked in a small frown. After a few seconds, the expression faltered, and Penny smiled, ushering the cold girl inside.

Sitting at the kitchen table, Belinda told Aunt Penny her rehearsed story. She didn't want to lie to her, but mentioning the events that transpired in the last hour wouldn't sit well with Penny, who knew Belinda's supposed destiny. To be honest, Belinda wasn't a huge fan of it either.

"So, Mr. Darrington really did forget to take down the sign?" Aunt Penny asked.

"The one that said that my apartment was still up for grabs." Belinda clarified. "The woman who marched in looked pretty mad, so I just gave her the key."

"In the middle of the night?"

"Well yeah, since my stuff's already here."

Belinda sipped her hot chocolate gingerly, gauging Aunt Penny's reaction. If she bought it, she wouldn't press the subject. If she didn't she might look into it herself.

Penny set down her mug. "Go take a shower. You get the couch."

"Yes ma'am," Belinda mumbled, finishing off her hot chocolate with a slurp.

After Belinda put her mug in the sink, she gave herself a cold shower. The temperature shock didn't give her the focus like she hoped, but she was able to stay up later. She dried her hair as quietly as she could, muttering to herself.

Having control over the season, sure, but what else? Autumn was the season of supposed death. Flowers died, grass browned, but the leaves did change into their brilliant hues.

_A colorful death, then._ Belinda thought bitterly. _Death…and fear._

It was a scary thought.

Belinda mulled it over, mind frantic. She glanced out the window, where the moon shone brightly. Streams of gold weaved through the sky, and Belinda smiled. Maybe some sleep would do her some good.

Belinda had a blissful rest, interrupted only by an ecstatic Jamie Bennett.

"What time is it?" Belinda yawned.

"Does it matter? It's a _snow day_!"

"Snow day?" Belinda repeated, feeling a grin begin to split her face in half. "How about you grab your friends and I'll meet you guys at the hill. Then maybe we can go sledding sometime."

Jamie's smile matched Belinda's own, and he bounded up the stairs.

Belinda ran downstairs where her clothes were. She cut open a cardboard box, and pulled out her navy blue windbreaker with a hood. She ran a few fingers over the hood's fur trim. The sleeves were a little short, but she figured that her jogging jacket could make up for the lost length.

By the time Jamie had found the twins, Belinda was sipping hot chocolate from a thermos. Jamie's blond little sister, Sophie, had strapped wings to her back, was playing with Abbey the greyhound.

"The Easter Bunny _is _real." Jamie scoffed.

"Sure, okay," One of the twins, Claude, wore a fuchsia cap and jersey, and held up his hands in a "whatever" gesture. "That's what you said about the aliens."

"Oh, the Easter Bunny is real, alright," a new voice spoke. Seeing the source of the statement, Belinda almost spewed her hot chocolate. Jack Frost had his staff balanced on his shoulders, and was leisurely walking across the top of the wooden fence. "He's real grumpy, real annoying, and _real_ full of himself."

Belinda snorted.

"What?" Jamie asked Belinda.

"Nothing." Belinda gave a dismissive wave.

"Oh, okay." He turned to follow the twins up the hill. His mother, who forced a hat on his head, stopped him. _"Mom!"_

"Sorry honey," Penny said, walking back towards the house. "Don't want Jack Frost nipping at your nose."

Jamie readjusted his hat, revealing a puzzled expression. "Who's Jack Frost?"

Penny's gaze drifted to the frost spirit, who had sat down on the fence, listening intently. "No one, honey," she said, bending over to pick up Sophie. "Its just an expression."

A look of shock exploded through the winter spirit's face and he jumped into the air, flying away.

Belinda screwed the lid of her thermos tightly, placing it in one of her many coat pockets. She glanced in the direction Jack had flown off to, and turned to face Penny.

"You and I both know that isn't true." Belinda said quietly.

Penny stroked Sophie's choppy blond hair, eyes distant and sad. "I know."

Her tone was softer than Belinda's.

Jamie and the twins, Caleb and Claude, were running across the street, towards the hill, and Belinda followed suit. Jamie was standing next to the slope, readying himself for the slide down.

Belinda leaned against a tree, sipping her hot chocolate, smiling as a snowball sailed from the other side of the street, nailing the back of Jamie's head.

The boy spun around, holding his sled in one hand, and keeping his hat on his head. His slightly cross look morphed into a jubilant grin. Before long, he was laughing.

"Okay," he called. "Who threw that?"

Jack Frost swooped down, landing amongst the kids. His staff seemed permanently glued to his right hand, while he tossed a snowball in the other.

"Well," the spirit said, his signature smirk showing. "It wasn't Bigfoot, kiddo."

As expected, Jamie ignored him, but scanned the area. He was trying to find an invisible culprit after all. His gaze settled on Monty, a blonde oddball with ridiculously thick glasses, and Pippa, a tall girl with short red hair, who were constructing a snow barricade.

"Ow!" Poor Monty had his back turned, and was knocked face-first into the ground. Pippa was the next victim, and was hit in the face by one of Jack's magic snowballs.

"Jamie Bennett!" She called. "No fair!"

Both got to their feet, a mischievous light in their eyes.

Jamie laughed. "You struck first!"

"Oh!" Caleb gasped, bapped on the head by a rogue snowball.

"Free for all!" Jack yelled, tossing a snowball at Claude.

In a few moments, snowballs were flying, and the air was filled with laughter. Belinda smiled at the scene, thankful to be out of the crossfire.

Jack flew around, dragging his staff on the snow, leaving more of the icy projectiles in his wake. "Who needs ammo?"

When the winter spirit finished circling the battlefield, he landed next to Belinda, his smirk still plastered on his face.

"Well," Belinda smiled. "Would you look at that?" She sipped her hot chocolate.

"The only thing missing from the picture," he tapped the tree. "Is you."

Belinda cringed as a pile of snow plopped on her head. She snatched her cap off, furiously shaking the ice crystals out of her hair.

"Real funny, Frost."

"Aw c'mon, what's it gonna take you to laugh?" Jack threw his hands up in exasperation.

Belinda shrugged, dusting her cap off. "Just got a lot on my mind."

"And how much is a lot?"

Belinda peered over his shoulder. "Well, _that_ situation certainly contributes."

Jack turned around. Jamie was on the ground, using his sled as a shield. How he got there, Belinda didn't know.

The girl was growling, and Belinda could swear there was steam coming out of her ears, which seemed like an odd combination with her all-pink clothing: her coat, skirt, and even her legwarmers.

"Crud, I hit Cupcake." Pippa squeaked sheepishly.

"She hit Cupcake!" Monty trembled.

"You hit Cupcake?" Claude echoed.

Quickly, the situation was turning apprehensive as Cupcake stood over a dazed Jamie Bennett. Taking brisk strides, Belinda hoped to diffuse the situation before—_boof_!

The kids gasped in horror. Unknown to them, Stand tall in their midst was Jack's staff— with the owner and culprit perched precariously on its crook, perfectly balanced on his toes.

"Did you throw that?" Caleb asked to no one in particular.

"No," Monty denied.

"Wasn't me," Pippa said.

Sprawled on the ground, Cupcake slowly got to her feet, her ferocious glare melting. Though invisible to the kids, Belinda spotted a splattering of faint blue sparkles spreading from her nose to the corners of her eyes.

She started laughing, not as if someone had been the victim of a cruel prank, but a true genuine burst of laughter. The other kids took her lead, beginning as a nervous titter, but gaining volume and gusto.

Grinning, Cupcake picked up the fallen snowball head and held it high over her own. She chased the kids down the hill, until Jack flew ahead, shooting a sheet of ice behind him. Losing their balance, the kids either fell on their butts or face-planted, all except for—

"Jamie!" Belinda yelled, watching her cousin slide face-first on his sled. She noticed Jack leading him with a trail of ice. "Jack . . ."

Carefully, Belinda followed the frozen pathway, which took her to the middle of Main Street and across sidewalks. She sprinted through the crowd, ignoring complaints and mumbling apologies.

Up ahead, she saw Jack take Jamie across the street, narrowly avoiding a snowplow. Belinda froze as she saw Jamie race up a ramp that Jack had created. Her gut wrenched as she watched Jamie fly into the air . . . and plummet into a snowdrift. Jack, jumped onto the pedestal of the statue of Thaddeus Burgess (founder of Burgess, 1763).

"Yeah!" He whooped, pumping his fist into the air.

Jamie's friends had caught up to him, all wearing concerned expressions that matched Belinda's. She joined them at the statue, standing a little to the side.

They bombarded Jamie with questions, and the winter spirit crouched on his tiptoes, proud of his work.

"Did you guys see that?" Jamie asked giddily. "It was amazing! I slid—I did a jump and I slid under a car—ACK!"

Belinda gasped and glared at Jack as a rogue sofa bowled over Jamie. "Great going."

"Whoops," he murmured, wincing.

After a few moments, Jamie sprang up, showing off a brand-new gap in his mouth.

"Cool!" Jamie exclaimed. "A tooth!"

"Dude," Claude said. "That means cash!"

"Tooth Fairy cash!" Monty added.

"Oh no . . ." Jack muttered. "Wait a minute! Come on, hold on, hold on! What about all the fun we just had? That wasn't the Tooth Fairy, that was me!"

He was talking to a deaf audience, who was walking away, chattering.

Jack looked down from the statue, a cold wind blowing though, snow flurries thickening. Belinda pulled her wool cap to her ears, shivering.

"Jack . . ." she reached out to him, but he jumped off the pedestal, landing in front of kids.

"What's a guy gotta do to get a little attention around here?" he demanded.

Jamie, as unaware as the other kids were, ran though the winter spirit. Jack's eyes, widened, and he put a hand on his chest, as if reassure himself that he was still there.

Belinda walked forward, Jack's staff in hand. Looking where the kids had disappeared, she glanced back at Jack, feeling . . . pity? The feeling pooled in her gut, wrenching in her core.

"Here," she said, quickly shoving the staff into the hands of the owner. "You should get going."

Jack looked up, surprised, but accepting it with a small smile on his face. "And you should—" he jerked his head in the direction the kids had disappeared.

"Yeah."

Both paused, the air turning awkward.

"So . . ." Belinda itched the back of her neck. "See you."

"Uh, yeah. Later, then."

Jack whipped up a wind, and disappeared into the fading storm clouds.

Tossing and turning Belinda couldn't sleep, and she knew it. She had to take Pitch down, or get her staff back, at least. She knew she wouldn't be able to forgive herself otherwise.

The plaid quilt Penny had dug out of the depths of the hallway closet was laying on the floor, with half of her body hanging off the couch. She stared restlessly out the window, the light of the full moon pouring in.

It wasn't just her missing staff that was bugging her either. Having this much snow wasn't bizarre, seeing as Burgess was just south of the Great Lakes. She just wished Jack Frost was more careful. Okay, a _lot_ more careful, since Jamie almost got bowled over by a couch. She had been pacing the living room, so she wouldn't wake Abbey the greyhound sleeping by the front door.

Belinda glanced at the guest bathroom, where her clothes were hanging. She wanted to track down her staff, or just go for a late-night jog. Belinda drummed her fingers on her leg, debating with herself.

But just for a moment, the streaming moonlight blinked off, as if snuffed out by a shadow before displaying its brilliance once again. It happened so quickly, spanning the time of a single blink, that it left Belinda unsure whether she saw it or not. Her eyes widened, watching the window.

Another shadow raced by, and Belinda jumped off the couch. Minutes later, Belinda was dressed, black jacket, gray wool cap, and all.

She edged carefully around Abbey's bed. Her hand was on the doorknob when her gaze wandered back upstairs, where Jamie's bedroom was located. Releasing the doorknob, Belinda stepped over Abbey's sleep form. Grabbing a Post-It from one of many messy kitchen drawers, she hastily scrawled a few words and stuck it to the fridge.

This time, Belinda opened the back door, wary of the squeak it made when pulled too far or too fast. Shutting it gently behind her, Belinda ran into the yard. The snow came up to her ankle, and even with her Nikes on, the cold penetrated her socks. It was two inches in April. Belinda chuckled to herself, running to the front yard. Her tennis shoes made a solid crunch and left identifiable tracks.

Belinda smiled.

Careful not to step on any others, Belinda scanned the front lawn. Strangely, there were no other marks of _anything_ on the ground, but the small tree that had been planted a few years ago had a different story to tell.

One part of it appeared to have its bark sanded off. On the base, hiding in the tree's roots, was glittering black sand.

Belinda's eyes widened.

_There's no way I can catch up to it,_ Belinda thought, gazing where the onyx trail continued. _But maybe . . . I can follow it._

With renewed energy, Belinda ran along the trail, trying to figure out where the nightmare would go. It lead her out of the subdivision and into the town, where street lamps flickered.

The trail ended at Main Street, and Belinda found herself in the middle of the four-way intersection. She wasn't worried; Burgess was a small town, practically dead during the night. She didn't see any more clues or a continuation of the trail.

Belinda began to retrace her steps, and hunched over as a freezing gust of wind almost whipped her cap off. _Again_.

What was left of the sand trail was lifted with the breeze into an alley. Fastening her cap, Belinda bit the bullet and dashed into the alley. What she saw wasn't Pitch, or even a Nightmare.

"Frost." She called.

The winter spirit turned around, his eyes lighting up. "Wandering around in the dead of night again?"

Belinda shook her head. "Aimlessly, I guess. I'm looking for someone."

"At night."

Belinda rolled her eyes. "Its when he comes out. I was hoping for a little something other than—" she gestured to the dead end. "That."

"Then who are you looking for?"

Belinda shrugged, walking towards the shadows. "He goes by a few names."

Jack opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a six-foot shadow leaning against a wall.

"Oi mate," the figure called. "It's been a while." The silhouette stepped into the light, sheathing a wooden boomerang. "Blizzard of sixty-eight, I believe."

Jack chuckled, relaxing his stance and leaning on his staff. "You're not still made about _that_, are you?"

Belinda thought her jaw might unhinge. She could see clearly that a—_the_ pooka was standing in front of her, in all his six-foot tall, tribal-marked glory.

"Aye," the pooka was saying. "I still am. But this isn't about that. _Boys!_"

From the side, two giant, furry . . . _yetis_ grabbed Jack by the hood, and threw him in a large burlap sack. One of the yetis pointed to Bunny, speaking in a language mixed between English and _hwaaghs_.

The pooka laughed, tapping the ground twice with his right foot, er, paw. A large rabbit's hole opened up. "See you boys back at the pole!"

As the pooka jumped in, Belinda scooted around the edge of the alley, trying to slip away unnoticed. She thought she was concealed enough by the shadows until a large furry hand grabbed her by her jacket's collar.

"Aw, c'mon!" Belinda grumbled. "Put me down!"

The yeti showed Belinda to his partner, and the two conversed in their garbled language before shoving Belinda in the sack.

"Hey!" She protested.

Belinda landed on a cold body. Jack grunted.

"Well," he said. "This is awkward.

* * *

**I actually planned to publish this before I made my RotG tumblr (asktheseasonalbigfour). And then, I'm like NOPE this is coming out. So please review and check out asktheseasonalbigfour (beware, slight spoilers).**

**AND HOLY CRAP TEN PAGES ON MICROSOFT WORD ASDFGHJKL;**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The sack wasn't exactly pitch black, but Belinda was positive that Jack didn't have his staff with him. _The one time . . ._

She was also certain that the yetis were supposed to only pick up Jack, since "too close for comfort" didn't even scratch the surface of her awkward, _cramped_ situation.

So did that mean the others knew about her dilemma?

It was freezing in the in the claustrophobic space, for reasons that being stuff with a winter spirit could only explain.

Both didn't utter a word, but screamed as they felt inertia take over: she felt a slight breeze against her face as she felt the sack somersault several times, forcing the duo crashing into each other. Belinda's insides took a liking to their roller coaster ride, and she regretted having that extra mug of hot chocolate before she hit the sack.

She focused on not blowing chunks while she and Jack were crammed together in a burlap sack.

Suddenly, their run-of-the-mill amusement park ride jolted to a stop.

Okay, it was more of a _collision_, with something the consistency of hardened concrete, but still, _ow_.

Shoving Jack off of with a grunt, Belinda groaned in pain as she tasted blood in her mouth. Great. She must've bit her tongue when they impacted. Just great.

"He's here." Belinda heard a man speak with a Russian accent, and Belinda's gut twisted.

She wasn't . . . she wasn't where she thought she was, was she?

Belinda shook her head, trying to banish the mind-warping question from her thoughts as Jack gripped her shoulders, pushing her farther into the depths of the sack.

"Just stay here." He said. "I'll take care of this."

Outside, Belinda heard a female voice fire orders at the rate of a machine gun. "Walla Walla, Washington—we've got a trampoline mishap at 1340 Ginger Lane—"

"Quiet," The Russian interjected.

As Jack struggled to open the sack from the inside, Belinda shrank away from the tiny circle of light from her corner, she saw two tiny triangular-shaped figures with bells hanging from there hats . . . er, clothes. It was impossible to tell.

_Elves . . ._ Belinda thought. _Crud._

Walking to the sides of the sack, they loosened the knot, Jack poked his head out and muttered, "Wow. You've got to be kidding me."

Belinda flinched as light glared into the sack, and shifted her head.

"Hey, _hey_!" Jack exclaimed. "Whoa, _put me down_."

"I hope the yetis treated you well?"

As Jack and Russian were going back and forth, Belinda felt her stomach lurch as the bag was lifted, and shaken.

_Oh crud oh crud_— Belinda thought, and in the next second, the sack was opened, and Belinda fell onto the floor—face first. _Oh crap_.

As casually as she could, she dusted herself off and scanned the room around her. In front of her was Jack, his staff placed leisurely on his shoulders. Behind him was a large, burly man with a long, white beard dressed in red. On his arms were intricate "naughty" and "nice" tattoos.

Next to him was a midget of a man wrapped in a robe of the golden sand she knew of all woo well. Skin was a pale tint of marigold, and his yellow hair stuck out in tufts on both sides of his head, with another on the top. Belinda tilted her head to the side in a double. The guy had arched over backwards inhaling another goblet of—Belinda sniffed—eggnog.

_Of course._

Flitting in the air on Jack's left was an avian-human hybrid. A woman who hovered in the air, silvery-pink wings beating like those of a hummingbird. Small, form fitting yellow feathers melted into greens and blues, ending with indigo at her feet. Her face was pretty, thin features on an elegant face. Light purple irises sparkled kindly. Where hair should've been though, a cluster of green and blue feathers were slicked upwards, like a headdress of some sort, the sides with smaller triangular yellow ones that dangled.

And leaning in a corner sharpening a wooden boomerang was the same pooka that Belinda saw in the alley. His ears were a bit longer than her forearm, and he was grumbling to himself.

Belinda froze, chills running up and down her body when she saw all eyes on her.

"W—Well, as much as I loving shoved in a sack and tossed thought a magic portal," Belinda said, quoting Jack. "I'd prefer to keep the contents of my stomach _in_ my stomach."

Jack pinched his nose in an "oh crap" gesture, while the bird-woman flitted over to Belinda, moving in a little _too_ close. She circled Belinda, hovering in one spot and darting over to another. Once she stopped in front of Belinda again, Belinda stepped back, holding her hands out.

"Personal space, please." Belinda said.

"How old are you? What's your name? How'd you end up in the sack?" With each question, she inched closer to her victim.

"I'm eighteen. Belinda. The yetis did it." Belinda winced. Gosh she was stupid. The first two questions gave it away, if they hadn't heard already. "Back off, Tooth."

Her interrogator gasped.

"Yes," Belinda said wearily. "I know of you." She swept her hand in front of her. "I know of all of you." Belinda looked over Tooth's shoulder. "Well, I _know_ Jack and Sandy."

The little golden man nodded, sleepily, waving.

"Wait," Jack strode over to Belinda, gently pushing Tooth aside. "You know them—you know who—they are?"

Belinda pointed to the pooka in the corner. "Easter Bunny." She nodded at Tooth. "Tooth Fairy." She locked eye contact with the Russian. "Santa Claus. Otherwise known as North. And there's the Sandman."

North stroked his beard, thoughtful. Bunny and Tooth were shocked. After all, and _eighteen_ year-old still believes?

Belinda winced, jumping as North cleared his throat.

"Very well," the Russian said, clapping his hands. "We get on with show." North put an arm on Jack's shoulders, steering him. "You know Bunny obviously."

Jack put on a smirk. "Obviously."

"And the Tooth Fairy?"

When she heard her name called, Tooth gasped, smiling a little. She flitted off to the winter spirit, her habit of forgetting the concept of personal space evident.

Belinda wrinkled her nose in sympathy, and shrank back behind a column. Sitting with her knees to her forehead, she groaned, letting the warmth spread from her toes to the rest of her body.

She lifted her head when she felt the heat partially blocked like a shadow.

"Hey Sandy." Belinda said. "I don't suppose you know why I'm here."

The golden man shook his head, and extended d. The sand formed into the shape of a maple leaf. He put his hand down and shrugged.

"Yeah, figured that too. But honestly, I'm really not sure if I'm ready, you know?" She looked over her shoulder. "I know I should tell them. They can help, but at the same time, I screwed up. Bad." She took a deep breath. "And—"

Sandy cut her off, holding up a finger.

"Sandy?" North bellowed. "Sandy!"

The golden man floated up a few inches and drifted over to where the hullabaloo was taking place. Belinda peeked from the column, watching Sandy and Jack. She sighed in defeat. Maybe it was best not to bring others into this.

_Who needs another problem to deal anyway?_ She thought.

Belinda felt a tug on her jeans and glanced down. An elf looked at her with a wide toothy grin. Next to him was a goblet of eggnog.

She offered him a small smile. "Sorry bud, I'm not a huge fan of eggnog."

The corners of the elf's mouth tucked into a frown, and he kicked at Belinda's foot.

Belinda chuckled and raised her hands, palms out in a mock "I surrender" gesture. "Hey, hey!" Settle down." She leaned down, and glanced over her shoulder. "I'm more of a hot chocolate fan myself," she whispered as if this were something scandalous.

The elf skittered back a few steps, his mouth a gaping oval. He held up a finger. "Be right back!"

Belinda watched as he ran away, jumping every few steps.

"Hey!" Jack interjected. "Anyone want to tell me why I'm here?" A pause. "That's not really helping, but thanks, little man. I must've done something really bad to get _you_ four together. Am I on the naughty list?"

North chuckled. "_On_ naughty list? You hold record! But no matter. We overlook. Now we are wiping clean the slate."

"How come?" Jack asked.

"Ah, good question." Bunny muttered.

"How _come_?" North was incredulous, as if the answer were as clear as day. "I _tell_ you how come! Because now . . . you are Guardian!"

By this time, the elf that had offered her eggnog earlier had returned with a mug of hot chocolate. After thanking him, Belinda shifted into a squat, picked it up, and carefully stood. Upon hearing the word "Guardian," she flinched, dropping the mug. As it shattered on the floor, yetis began lighting torches, and elves leapt from columns unfurling banners. A few of Tooth's fairies, Mini Teeth who were the actual size of hummingbirds, tried to present Jack a necklace of paper snowflakes. The winter spirit shooed them away.

"This is the best part!" North bellowed.

Belinda wasn't sure whether sure whether to be relieved that no one was paying attention to her, or whether she should attract some.

As Jack scanned the room, he made eye contact with Belinda, who shrugged, holding her palms out. They were throbbing now, and she shrugged off Sandy's help. She needed to see how this would play out.

One of North's yetis brought him a thick, _old_ leather-bound book with a stylized "G" on both covers. As the jolly old Russian cleared his throat, Jack raised his staff. Ribbons of blue light weaved their way through the wood, the power and magic input suddenly spiking.

He slammed his staff on the ground, sending out a shock wave of freezing wind. The torches blew out, and the music came to a flat stop. Belinda turned her head away, instinctively raising her hands to shield her. She winced.

_First they were throbbing because I burnt them,_ Belinda thought. _Now they're halfway frozen_.

"What makes you think I want to be a Guardian?" Jack demanded.

At this statement, North burst into laughter. That is, until he realized that Jack was, in actuality, _not_ joking. Stony, he said, "Of course you do!" He looked over his shoulder to the elves. "Music!"

A few seconds into the elves' fanfare, Jack raised his voice again. "No music!"

Apparently, an elf _really_ wanted that music; he threw his silver trumpet to the ground, shoving an elf with a euphonium to the ground as he stormed out.

Watching the scene unfold, North glowered.

Belinda's mind was running a mile a millisecond, but she couldn't process it nearly as fast, considering she was half-drunk with lack of sleep.

"Look, this is all very flattering but uh, you don't want me." He insisted. "You're all hard work and deadlines, and I'm snowballs and fun times." He sat on an overturned bookshelf with a slouch. "I'm not a Guardian."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I said!" Bunny piped up.

"Jack," Tooth fluttered down to him, directing his attention to the giant globe in the center of the workshop, rotating in sync with the Earth. "I don't think you understand what it is we do."

Belinda tuned her out. One of the pockets on the inside of her jacket started vibrated. Slowly, she unzipped it, and pulled out a . . . rock?

She frowned slightly, bring it a few inches closer to her inspecting eyes. Yes, it was made of stone, but it wasn't _just_ a rock. There were tiny golden specks of light. Belinda' held it up to North's globe, and it rose a few inches off her palm. Cracks began to appear, they soon spread, and the pieces separated themselves from each other, forming tiny continents. The lights were in the same spots, except for a few that North's globe didn't sport. A green light was somewhere in Chile, a pink one hovering over Japan, and on the North Pole were a light blue and amber speck of light.

Belinda knew each of the golden lights was a child, a child that still believes. "We protect the children, because they are all we have," Belinda breathed. "And all that we will ever be."

So what were they others? Up at the North Pole, the blue one _had_ to be Jack, and the amber one?

Though she didn't admit it out loud, Belinda's stomach sunk as she realized it was _her._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack move toward the center of them room, and Belinda hastily stuffed her globe back into her pocket.

"Okay!" North boomed. "No more wishy-washy! Pitch is out there doing who knows what!"

Jack scoffed. "You mean the Boogeyman?"

"_Yes_," Belinda muttered, angrily. "The Boogeyman."

Her interjection went unnoticed. This get-together was about _Jack_, after all.

"Yes!" North confirmed. "When he threatens _us—_" he gestured to the Guardians behind him. "He threatens _them—_" he pointed to the globe. "As well!"

"All the reason to pick someone more qualified!" Jack insisted, sweeping a hand towards the globe.

"Pick? You think _we_ pick?" North scoffed. "No you were _chosen_, like we were _all_ chosen! By Man in Moon!"

Jack spun around, looking at the Guardians of Childhood assembled before him. Belinda couldn't imagine how he felt.

_Actually, I can_. Being ignored, practically nonexistent for three-hundred years? Leaving her family, _Jamie_, behind to succumb to death's eventual embrace? It hurt. It ate at her insides, leaving a depressing, melancholy hole.

As for Jack, when he found out about the Guardians, the Guardians of Childhood, Belinda was sure that he tried talking to them, but except for Sandy, he was practically shunned.

Did he try talking to the other branch?

Belinda shook her head. They were fair busier than the Guardians of Childhood; their duty was to the whole world, not just the kids.

The Spirit of Spring was —whoever that was—was on break; it was winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and therefore summer in the south. Did Jack try talking to him or her?

"The Man in the Moon," Jack breathed. "He talks to you too?"

He looked to the skylight, where the moon seemed to move on its own from behind the clouds.

"You see, you cannot say no," North stated. "It is destiny."

Jack was obviously confused, and his perplexed expression melted into a scowl as he exhaled sharply.

"But why—why wouldn't he tell me that himself?" Jack demanded, a note of frustration crept into his voice. "After three-hundred years, and _this_ is his answer? To spend_ eternity_ cooped up in some —some hideout thinking of—of new ways to bribe kids? No, no. That's not for me!" He took a deep, calming breath. "No offense." He walked over to Belinda, who despite knowing how Jack felt, she still was just as stunned as the other Guardians. Jack gripped her upper arm, frost forming on the black of her jacket. "Let's go."

A few steps before Jack flew off with Belinda, Bunny just _had_ to put in his two cents. "How is that not offensive? You know what I think? I think we just dodged a bullet. I mean, what's _this_ clown know about bringing joy to children, anyway?"

Jack froze in his steps, his grip on Belinda's arm tightened slightly, and he quickly snatched it off. He turned around, rolling his eyes slightly before facing the Guardians.

"Uh, you ever hear of a snow day?" Jack asked in a "duh" tone. "I know it's no hard-boiled egg, but kids _like_ what I do."

"But none of them believe in you, do they?" Bunny pointed out, maybe a _bit_ too smug. "You see, it's like you're invisible mate. It's like you don't even exist."

The two glared at each other, and Belinda sensed a standoff. She moved in-between them, and glanced at Jack. His eyes reflected more light than normal; his eyes were wet.

Belinda put a hand on Jack's hoodie, and another gripped Bunny's fur. "That's enough!" She ordered, pushing them apart. "It's bad enough you have Pitch to worry about!"

Silence. Carefully, Jack peeled her hand off his hoodie and gently pushed her aside, pointing his staff at the pooka.

"No," Jack said, mustering a smirk. "The kangaroo's right."

"The—the what? What'd you call me?" Bunny spluttered. "I am _not_ a _kangaroo_, mate."

"Oh, and this whole time, I thought you were. If you're not a kangaroo, _what are you_?"

"I'm a bunny. The _Easter_ Bunny. People believe in _me_."

The situation was unraveling, _fast_. Belinda lifted her wool cap off her head, running a hand through her mousy chestnut hair. Out of the corner of her vision, she spotted Sandy nudge North. She heaved a sigh of relief when North stepped forward as silence filled the air once more.

"_Jack,_" North said tightly. "Walk with me."

Belinda, puzzled, opened her mouth to ask something along the lines of "What about me?" Before she could get the first syllable out, North, who was walking away with his back turned, North pointed at her with his thumb.

"You, stay here. We figure out what to do with you later."

Belinda jumped, rubbing the back of her neck. She glanced at the shattered remnants of the ceramic mug and the puddle of hot chocolate.

She laughed nervously. "Oops. Sorry about that."

"Oi, Sheila," Bunny grunted, pointed a boomerang at the girl. "Why are you here?"

Belinda shrugged, trying to maintain an aloof face. "I don't know. The yetis threw me in the sack."

"When?"

_He's almost as bad as Tooth_, Belinda thought. "A little after they threw Jack in. After you left."

Bunny turned to his feathered counterpart. "What are we still doing waiting for North to get back when I could just put her through one of my tunnels?"

The petite put her hands on her hips. "We'll figure out what happens when North gets back."

"Uh, excuse me?" Belinda piped up. "Keep talking as if I'm not here, shall we?" When her initial outburst went ignored, Sandy nudged Belinda, cupping his hands around his mouth. "I was just getting to that, Sandy. _HEY!_"

Tooth flinched, darting to the side, and Bunny cringed, his ears pulled downwards.

"What?" Bunny snapped, his nose twitching.

"I am _not_ leaving," Belinda asserted, stepping forward. "Pitch took . . . something personal from me last night. I need to get it back, ASAP."

"What is that Pitch has?" Tooth asked.

"Its . . ." Belinda hesitated. "Personal."

"Of course," Bunny said, rolling his eyes. He looked at Sandy. "Can you believe her?"

Sandy nodded.

Bunny gaped for a moment before opening his mouth, but before he could get a word out —

"Can I believe who now?" North bellowed, munching on a cookie. Jack followed him, studying something in his palm before slipping it in his hoodies pocket.

He ran ahead of North, bouncing off a few shelves.

"What's going on?" He asked Belinda.

"I may have been an idiot," she whispered through clenched teeth, using one hand as a sound barrier.

"This girl—" Bunny said, jabbing his thumb at Belinda. "Wants a go at Pitch!"

He started laughing incredulously, although it sounded a little forced.

"Mortal girl wants go at Pitch?" North leaned forward—his nose practically touching Belinda's—and stroked his beard. "I say we give her go!"

Bunny froze and gaped.

North chuckled, clapping a meaty hand on Belinda's shoulder, steering her away from the others, he led her to a lower level of the workshop. They passed yetis building toys from models made of ice, while elves ran wild, doing everything _but_ building toys.

Belinda chuckled, smiling to herself. "This place is amazing." She breathed. "I didn't think it would be this —this—"

North turned back, chuckling to himself with a kind smile.

When they got to the end of the workstations, North pulled open a large wooden door, gesturing for her to come in.

Belinda supposed this was North's personal workspace, with a desk covered with tools of every shape and size, complete with a grand view over the cliff side.

"Cookie?" North offered, holding out a silver platter.

"Oh, sure," Belinda said, reaching out and grabbing a chocolate chip. She bit into it, scanning the sights around her. A tree was strung with lights, shelves were chock full of book and knick-knacks, and toy biplanes weaved their own paths in the air.

As she finished her snack, North walked to a chest placed obscurely in the corner of the room. As he rummaged through its contents, Belinda dodged a few flying wood carvings and old tools before North came back up for air. In his hand was a sword, a _katana_, sheathed.

"You recognize this—" North gently pulled it out of its cover. "Yes?"

Belinda swallowed the remains of her cookie, gingerly bringing up a finger, running it over the line representing the four seasons —a snowflake, a maple leaf, a cherry blossom, and a sunflower petal —all engraved down the middle.

"I haven't seen this in a while," Belinda murmured. "Not since—" she swallowed. "Alaska."

North smiled, sheathing the blade. He handed it to Belinda. "It is yours."

Belinda returned his smile, and swung the sheath's strap over her shoulder. "Thank you."

Behind North, Belinda noticed something rush past the window, something that reflected a myriad of colors.

Tooth.

Not a millisecond later, Bunny came dashing, Jack and Sandy on his heels.

"We have a problem mate!" Bunny said. "Trouble at the Tooth Palace."

North's eyes widened for a moment. He grabbed a matching coat and hat—red with black trim—and twin swords hanging in their sheaths off the coatrack. After fixing them on his belt, he swept out of the room, Sandy and Jack parting for him.

"Boys!" North bellowed, walking through the crowd of yetis. He barked orders in Russian, motioning for Belinda and the others to follow him.

As he led them out of the workshop, Jack sprinted ahead of Bunny and Sandy, who were lagging behind. He slowed his stride, matching Belinda's.

"Where're we going?" Jack asked, spreading his hands wide.

North gave him a look that was somewhere between a scowl and a glower with a cocked eyebrow.

"Okay, okay," Jack said, raising his palms defensively. "Just wanted to get that out of the way. How're we getting there? Not all of us can fly."

Belinda grinned a laughed a bit, shoving Jack playfully. "Jack, he's _Santa_. Whatdya think?"

"But I'm not coming with you guys," he insisted. I'm not a Guardian, it's not my problem."

"I'm not a Guardian either," Belinda pointed out. "But it's part of _my_ problem."

"Fine, then go with them." Jack turned to North. "Can I go now?"

"No." The Russian answered. As they reached the hangar, North called the few yetis on duty there. "Boys, ship shape! As soon as impossible!"

"North, North!" I told you, I'm not going with you guys!" Jack repeated. "There is no way I'm climbing into some rickety . . . old . . ."

Belinda gave him a smirk as he trailed off, his jaw dropping. It did nothing to prepare her for the sight she beheld: a team of reindeer pulled a hot-rod sleigh. Most of the interior was definitely wooden, but the outside was tricked out with metal plating, making it look somewhere between a sleigh and a flying saucer. The front had a miniature globe for the driver's navigation.

As it came to a stop in front of Jack and Belinda, the latter hoped in.

"Shotgun!" She called, while there was not a definite shotgun _seat_ on the sleigh she gave Jack a grin, causing the winter spirit to glance back at North. The Russian gave him an, "I told you so," look and gestured to the sleigh.

"Okay, one ride," Jack said, raising his pointer finger, and hopped inside, standing next to Belinda. "But that's it."

North laughed as Sandy climbed, taking a seat in the back. "Everyone loves the sleigh!"

Of course, as is to prove him wrong, Bunny stood awkwardly to the side, frozen and absolutely petrified.

"Bunny!" North called. "What are you waiting for?"

"I think my tunnels might be faster, mate," the pooka replied, giving the sleigh a solid tap with a hind paw. He winced as the sleigh rocked and creaked. "And um, safer."

"Ah, get in!" North said, grabbing him by the boomerang sheath and hoisting him up. "Buckle up!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bunny exclaimed, looking frantically around the sleigh. "Where are the bloody seatbelts?!"

North chuckled. "That was just expression!" He turned to a yeti making last second tweaks. "Are we ready?"

The yeti frantically shook his head no.

"Good! Let's go! Clear!" He cracked the reins. "Hiyah!"

Elves and yeti scrambled to avoid getting trampled. Belinda stumbled onto a seat, and Jack was able to keep his balance. Bunny gripped the side of the sleigh, his claws scratching ribbons of red paint off. Jack glanced back, smirking, and laughed.

Belinda herself wasn't worried about North's sleigh falling to pieces. No, she was worried that she'd go flying off as they raced down a launch track made of ice. She found herself gripping her side of the sleigh, and Jack glanced over his shoulder at her.

"You look pale," he commented. "Earlier, you were so _excited_."

"Oh, _now_ you're cheeky." Celinda grumbled under her breath. Unlike everyone else here, I _can't_ fly or magically transport myself to avoid becoming a grease stain!"

North cracked the reins once more, and the sleigh plummeted into an almost-vertical drop. To her horror, her grip began to slip, like some other-worldly being wanted to prove her point.

"Oh gosh—oh _gosh_!" Her muttered mantra became a scream as she felt her hold on the sleigh ripped from her grip.

Belinda yelled as the sleigh raced away, leaving her behind. As she was about to crash into the wall of ice behind her, a stream of dreamsand snaked past her. Desperately, she grabbed on, giving it a frantic yank.

Almost immediately, the whip pulled her forward, and the sleigh soon zoomed into view. Sandy was quickly reeling her in, a little too quickly, perhaps. She slammed into the back of the sleigh, and before it could happen, she planted her feet firmly, and grasped the dreamsand rope, like how a mountain climber would scale a cliff.

As she neared the edge, she held on to the makeshift rope in her left hand, Jack grasped her right, and together, he and Sandy helped pull Belinda back into the (relative) safety of the sleigh as they entered a corkscrew.

"I hope you like the loopty-loops!" North called.

"I hope you like carrots!" Bunny managed to retort, shutting his mouth promptly.

North laughed, cracking the reins. Instantly, the sleigh put on a burst of speed, launching off a ramp. The reindeer climbed higher, cantering in the air.

"Here we go!" .

"Woo-hoo!" Jack whooped, pumping his fist into the air.

"Klasno!" North bellowed with glee.

A few moments after the sleigh settled into a smooth flight pattern, Belinda was able to settle on a seat below Sandy, on the far side unoccupied by Bunny. The giant pooka was nearly flat on his back, trying to shrink into himself.

Jack glanced back at Belinda, who gave him a reassuring nod, and mouthed, _I'm good._

The winter spirit returned her gesture with a smile, his gaze sliding over to a terrified Bunnymund. Nimbly, he jumped through the empty spot on the bench, landing on the sleigh's edge.

"Hey Bunny," Jack leaned over the edge, slowly standing up. "Check out this view—_EEYARG!_"

Belinda watched in amusement as Bunny swallowed his fear, peering over the edge. Bunny's comment of "Aw, rack off ya bloody show pony!" gave her a clue of what was going on.

Grinning, Jack leapt over Belinda's side, plopping down on the gap between Bunny and Belinda.

"Hold on everyone!" North called. "I know a shortcut."

"Oh strewth," Bunny groaned. "I knew we should've taken the tunnels."

North held a snow globe to his mouth, and threw it ahead of them. It burst, and a vortex of faint colors appeared;

"Hyah!"

As North cracked the reins once more, Belinda felt her stomach lurch as the sleigh hit its hyperdrive.

* * *

**Thanks to Cloverheart609 and Alice for reviewing. I wish I got more reviews, because I really, really want to know what your opinions are for this story. Feel free to check out asktheseasonalbigfour for spoilers, headcanons, and the occasional musical composition.**


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